


sanders sides soulmate september drabbles!

by bookishpanda



Series: Sanders Sides Shorts [2]
Category: Cartoon Therapy (Web Series), Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: AUs, Drabbles, M/M, Mentions of Anxiety Attack, Nonbinary Character, Platonic Ships, Polyships, Queer platonic relationships, Romance, Romantic Ships, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, Trans Character, anxiety attack, mentions of broken bones, mentions of depression, platonic, queer platonic, soulmate september
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 17,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26224426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookishpanda/pseuds/bookishpanda
Summary: soulmate september drabbles for september 2020!co-posted to my tumblr vindicatedvirgil
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil & Creativity | Roman & Logic | Logan, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Deceit | Janus/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton (Sanders Sides), Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Dr. Emile Picani/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Morality | Patton Sanders/Dr. Emile Picani
Series: Sanders Sides Shorts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2067366
Comments: 53
Kudos: 227





	1. day one / names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day One: Your Soulmate’s name is written on your wrist or palm.
> 
> Summary: When the name on Remus' wrist faded into something new, he hoped that whoever this Patton was, he was comfortable with himself at long last.
> 
> Ship: Intruality (Remus x Patton)

Parents were the first to know the name of their child’s soulmate. It was in that moment that they found out their child’s sexuality, too. Well, for the most part. Sometimes, the name faded out, another replacing it. 

That was what happened with Remus. He grew up with one name on his wrist, one he fantasized about. But around the time he was ten, the name faded. When he asked his parents what this meant, they explained that it meant that the person with that name was transitioning into someone who they felt more comfortable being.

And so the name Patton appeared one day, and Remus doodled the name alongside his in all of his notebooks, being sure to cross out any remnants of the previous name.

The first thing that Patton learned how to read was Remus’ name. He fantasized about the person that Remus was, dreaming of the day they’d meet. As Patton grew older, he worried that his deadname would be what appeared on Remus’ wrist, but his dad assured him that when someone changes their name, the name on the other person changes, too. Sometimes, fate knew before the person what their name would be someday.

When he heard someone call out the name Remus, he was standing in the courtyard of his new university. His eyes widened and he stood on the tips of his toes to see two nearly-identical boys walking side-by-side. One of them had a mustache. And then the other one called him Remus.

Patton ran up to him. “Sorry to interrupt. But, um, is your name Remus?” He squeaked out, hoping his voice wouldn’t crack. The mustached man blinked. “My name is Patton.” 

Suddenly Remus was beaming brightly and he lifted up his soulmate into his arms, cheering loudly. “Oh! Patton! My soul’s destiny!” He settled Patton back down on his feet shortly after. “I- well… Patton, may I kiss you?”

“You may,” Patton’s face was bright red as their lips met for the first time. When they pulled away and looked at their wrists, they saw Remus’ childlike handwriting, spelling out Remus + Patton.


	2. day two / countdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Two: There is a timer that counts down to when you will meet your soulmate.
> 
> Summary: Emile had calculated the exact day he'd meet his soulmate. By some strange coincidence, it was his first day of college. Would his soulmate be his roommate? A classmate? God forbid it be a professor. He was not expecting it to be the barista at a coffee shop.
> 
> Ship: Remile (Remy x Emile)

It became very obvious to Emile what day he’d meet his soulmate. As the years faded into months, he pinpointed it as the day he’d move into his college dorm room. Would his roommate be his soulmate? Would it be one of his classmates? He dreaded the thought of it being a professor. 

As the day grew nearer, he became more nervous, hoping that whoever his soulmate was, they’d love cartoons as much as he did, that they liked cuddles and late night talks over herbal tea.

The day came, and he kept his eye on his index finger. “That puts it at… two this afternoon,” he murmured to himself. He kept checking throughout the day, as he met his roommates, as he unpacked and took a tour of the campus with some of his other dorm mates. They decided to stop in at the coffee shop; the timer was at two minutes.

-

“Sorry Remy, I know today’s  _ the _ day, but we really need you to come in,” his manager sounded apologetic on the phone, so he sighed and agreed to pick up an extra shift. He needed the money anyways, but… he had been looking forward to this day all summer. He had gotten a haircut last week and spent all morning making himself look amazing, and now it would all be ruined because he had to be the best barista in the whole town.

He kept an eye on his index finger his whole shift; it was moving day at the local university, so there were more options than usual, it seemed. He got off his break when the timer said two minutes.

-

“Next!” Remy called out. The man stepped up to him, and his timer hit zero. Both of their eyes widened as they met, and a grin broke out on Emile’s face. “Oh. Hello there.”

“I’m Emile!” The man said excitedly, nearly throwing himself over the counter. Remy laughed, shooting a knowing look to his manager, then tore his apron off, hopping over the counter to gather Emile in his arms.

“Oh, darling, hello,” Remy whispered. “I’m Remy.”


	3. day three / dogwalker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Three: You have an animal that only you and your soulmate can see.
> 
> Summary: Logan always walks his soul dog with him when he walks the other neighborhood dogs, so when someone starts petting her, he loses all ability to speak.
> 
> Ship: Logince (Logan x Roman)

Logan isn’t sure what possessed him to name his soul dog Princess, but he did it because it felt right at the time. She’s always perky, always ready to go with Logan when he takes the other neighborhood dogs for their daily walks. He needed a bit of extra cash to support himself with his education.

One evening, he’s got Princess along with three of the other neighborhood dogs. Whenever someone stops him, they always pet the other three, since no one but Logan and his soulmate (whoever that may be) can see her. He makes sure to give her extra attention after each walk.

A man approaches the group, a wide smile on his face as he leans down to pet one, two, three… four dogs? Logan looks at him with bewilderment, unsure of what to say. The man looks up at him, about to ask about Princess, but notices the expression on his face.

“You okay? Should I not have pet her?” He asked, playing with the crown tag on her collar. Logan blinked at him, unable to say anything. 

“She’s… I… you…” for once in his life, Logan has nothing to say. He just stares at the man, his  _ soulmate _ . “She’s my soul animal.”

“Oh.  _ Oh. _ ” The man stands up abruptly, rubbing the back of his neck. With his other hand, he reaches out, ready to shake Logan’s trembling free hand. “I’m Roman.”

“Logan,” he responds, meeting their fingers together for a shake, and Logan can swear that he feels some kind of electricity coursing between them. “Um, let me get the other three home. I live in that blue house? Down there? We should… talk.” He hands Princess’ leash to Roman, his face bright red, and Roman nods, walking in the other direction. But as they pass, Logan leans up to press a kiss to his soulmate’s cheek for the very first time.


	4. day four / avoidance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Four: There is a trail of color only you can see that marks out where your soulmate has been.
> 
> Summary: Logan is beginning to think that his soulmate is avoiding him. And, yeah, Patton is definitely avoiding him, but you can only prolong destiny for so long.
> 
> Ship: Logicality (Logan x Patton)

Logan held his pocket notebook tightly in hand, following the pale blue trail. It was winding around him again, but it was hard to tell where they were now. He was starting to think that his soulmate was flat out avoiding him, and had made a list of all of the potential reasons why. But he didn’t like any of the reasons. They were soulmates, and even though he thought that sometimes the idea of having one single person you were meant to be with, whether platonically or romantically was a bit… frivolous, they were still meant to be, and Logan desperately wanted to find them.

He raced in the direction that he hoped his soulmate would be, but it kept looping, and he wanted to give up. Maybe they just didn’t want to be found by him. He sighed, sitting on a bench outside of a thrift store.

-

Patton could tell that his soulmate was trying to find him, but he wasn’t ready to be found. The dark blue lines were  _ everywhere _ , and he wanted to run away from them, escape them. What if his soulmate hated him? What if his soulmate couldn’t understand why he was running?

He knew that yes, they were meant to be… but he worried that those stories about soulmates leaving each other for someone else were true. That maybe there was a flaw in the system. And maybe his soulmate would be the kind to leave him. Because he didn’t want a romantic soulmate.

He came out of the thrift store, only to notice a man sitting on the bench, the blue line ending with him. He wanted to run, but it’d only bring more attention to him, so he tried to walk by.

“Hey! Wait!” A voice called behind him. He winced, then turned around to see the man standing, his notebook clutched tightly in hand. “You. You’re avoiding me. Why?”

“I-I’m sorry, I just… I’m terrified,” Patton said quietly, looking up to meet the other’s eyes. They were behind square framed glasses, but they seemed kind and passionate, and the man looked disheveled and frustrated.

“Terrified?” Logan stepped closer. “Why are you terrified?”

“Because… what if you hate me? What if you want to be romantic with me? I don’t… I don’t want that,” Patton admitted, and he looked down, only to feel two hands take his gently.

“That’s okay. Platonic soulmates sounds like the perfect arrangement. I would never hate you for something like that,” Logan paused. “What’s your name?”

“Patton,” he replied, still not looking up. “What’s yours?”

“I’m Logan,” the response came, and Patton finally decided to glance up. “I’m glad that I’ve finally found you.”


	5. anxiety attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 5: Any intense emotions your soulmate feels you will also experience
> 
> Summary: "Patton? You okay?" His friends' concern was mounting as Patton collapsed against a wall, clutching his chest. He felt anxious, terrified. Depressed. He tried to feel comfort, so his soulmate would feel the same. He didn't know if it would work.
> 
> Ship: Moxiety (Patton x Virgil)
> 
> CW: anxiety attack, depressive thoughts

Patton hated not knowing who his soulmate was, because he wanted to run to wherever they were and comfort them. The depression in the middle of the night, the anxiety attacks during his classes, and the anger around dinner time… Patton worried greatly for his destined one. Whenever he could, he tried to send hope, comfort, joy towards the other, praying that it would help.

One afternoon he was spending time with his close friends. All of the sudden, a wave of panic rose over Patton, and he found it difficult to breathe. Logan was the first to notice.

"Patton? You okay?" Logan’s words alerted Roman to the current predicament, and his friends' concern was mounting as Patton collapsed against a wall, clutching his chest.

“Soulmate,” he breathed out, the tears running down his face. He tried to send positive feelings their way, he begged whoever was listening to comfort the person who was on the other end of this tether. Somewhere, Roman’s phone was ringing a horrific song, something that signified his twin brother’s pleas to pick up. 

“What do you mean Virgil is panicking?” Roman glanced nervously around at Logan, then at Patton, trying to see if the pieces fit. “Keep him there, I think… I think I know who his soulmate is.”

-

Logan and Roman practically had to drag Patton through the front door of the twins’ house, he was in so much agony. Janus was pacing and Virgil was there, crouched against the wall, hands over his ears. The others set Patton down on the floor near Virgil, who glanced up. Their eyes met, and Patton pulled Virgil into his arms.

A feeling of comfort flooded over both of them, and Patton giggled, burying his face in the shoulder of his soulmate, hoping to hide his happy tears.

“Hi there,” he whispered, leaning back to look at Virgil again, who was also crying, happier than he’d ever been before.


	6. broken bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Six: When your soulmate is injured you will experience pain in that area.
> 
> Summary: Logan is tired of his soulmate always getting hurt. Remus keeps getting hurt so that his soulmate will notice him.
> 
> Ship: Intrulogical (Remus x Logan)
> 
> CW: broken bones, pain, sexual humor (thanks Remus)

Remus realized it fairly early on that his soulmate was Logan Crofters, the smartest guy in their grade. But the brainiac never noticed him, and Remus was ready to change that. He’d throw himself off of the roof of his house, arriving at school the following day with a cast on his leg to see Logan with one on the same leg. Logan would grumble to the other smart kids about how he was sick of his soulmate always getting hurt.

But he never paid any attention to Remus. It was infuriating. He bumped into walls, stubbed his toes on furniture, even tried joining the football team so he could get tackled and see the pain that his soulmate was in; maybe then, Logan would notice. Turns out that brainiacs are really thick-skulled.

Remus decided to try a different method. Whenever he saw Logan walking in front of him in the hallway, he’d barge through, slamming their shoulders together. Logan would feel pain in both of his shoulders but never understand why.

And Remus was ready to give up.

Until one day, Logan was the one who got hurt. He was walking home from school on a particularly icy evening when he slipped and fell, breaking his ankle. The following day, everyone asked if it was his soulmate’s doing, but he said it was his fault this time.

And then he noticed Remus walking in with a cast around his ankle, talking loudly to Janus about how his soulmate did something really dumb and broke their ankles. Logan’s heart jumped out of his throat. All of those moments where Remus and Logan were both injured flooded his mind, and he hobbled over to stand in front of the teen with the awkwardly wispy mustache.

“Oh, hey Logan,” Remus muttered, not meeting his eyes. The bruises on Remus’ skin matched Logan’s. “What can I do for you, nerdy wolverine?”

“It’s you,” Logan breathed out, and Remus’ eyes snapped up to meet Logan’s, a smirk finally covering his features.

“It took you long enough to figure it out,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes, but he was smiling. “You’d think you would have noticed after I flung myself off of the roof of the cafeteria last term.”

“You… you’ve known the whole time?” Logan was breathless. His soulmate was trying to get his attention the whole time, and he never even noticed. “Well. Uh. Don’t do that anymore, please. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Oh, I won’t hurt myself anymore,” Remus said, then he raised an eyebrow. “Although… if  _ you _ wanted to hurt me… or wanted me to hurt you… I’d be all in.” Logan cleared his throat, his face bright red, and he shook his head.

“Maybe we should… date first.”


	7. tug on my heartstrings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Seven: There is a string tied around your pinky that only you can see, the end of it leads to your soulmate.
> 
> Summary: On the date of the younger soulmate's 18th birthday, the string appears. When it doesn't appear on Emile's finger on his eighteenth birthday, he waits patiently. Six months later, the string is there, so he tugs. Patton tugs back.
> 
> Ship: Patmile (Patton x Emile)

“Happy Eighteenth birthday!” Emile’s family surrounds him, but all he feels is disappointment. They can see it in his eyes, too. No string. Which means one of two things: his soulmate isn’t 18 yet, or he has no soulmate. He goes about his life for the next few months, each morning checking his finger to see if the string is there. He goes off to college, meeting new people and making friends. Most of them already have their soulmates. Emile grows more concerned every day.

One morning, he feels a tug at his finger. He pulls the sheets off of him, and there it is: a bright pink string. He tugs at it. The person on the other side tugs back. He slides his glasses on and steps into the closest pair of shoes, following the string, wrapping it around his arm. With every footstep, he grows more excited, and those around him can tell exactly what he is running towards. He nearly walks out into the middle of a street, focused so intently on the string in front of him.

But then his hand meets someone else’s, and he looks up to see bright blue eyes behind round glasses, pink cheeks, and a bright smile. He smiles back, enveloping the other in his arms. “Happy birthday, my destined!” Emile exclaims. The boy giggles, and then Emile sets him back down. “I’m Emile Picani.”

“Patton Hart,” the other responds, looking into Emile’s eyes curiously. “And thank you. I hope that you didn’t need to wait too long for this.”

“It was worth the wait,” Emile says, his arms tight around Patton. “I, well, I was wondering… are you of the romantic persuasion?”

“Hm? Oh! Oh, yes, I am,” Patton responded quickly, still unable to look away from Emile’s brown eyes. “Why do you ask?”

“I was thinking that I’d like to kiss you, but I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet today, and–”

Emile was cut off by two arms wrapping around his neck and an equally unbrushed mouth meeting his. It wasn’t the most romantic first kiss, but they’d have their whole lives to perfect it.

When they finally moved in together a few months later, They hung their string around the walls, a reminder of what brought them together. 


	8. freezing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Eight: The temperature of your chest gets hotter when you are closer to your soulmate and colder when you move further away.
> 
> Summary: Janus craves the heat. He gets cold easily, so he's terrified of the moment when he turns 18 and will feel cold at the absence of his soulmate. Remus, who is a few months older, is his best friend and promises to be close by with a blanket the moment the clock strikes midnight.
> 
> Ship: Dukeceit (Remus x Janus)

Janus snuggles deeper under his blankets, trying to claim any semblance of the heat that his bedroom was so sorely lacking. He glances at the calendar on his wall, showing only a few days left until his eighteenth birthday.

When he turns eighteen, he’s going to get even colder, he fears, because once you reach adulthood, the closer you are to your soulmate, the warmer you get. But if they’re far away from you? You get cold. Apparently. 

This is just what he’s read online and heard from his parents. Janus doesn’t want to have to use his college funds to fly cross-country (or to another country, oh no) to finally meet his soulmate, but if he’s freezing… then he’s going to need to. 

The other terrifying thing would be if his soulmate wasn’t eighteen yet, so they wouldn’t be heading towards each other. But he figures that if his soulmate  _ was _ already eighteen… they’d have tried to find him already, right? The thought that maybe his soulmate could feel the cold and hadn’t tried to find Janus yet was one he didn’t want to entertain. 

He often voiced his concerns to his best friend, Remus, who shrugged off many of the concerns. But Janus made his weird bestie promise to be there at midnight on his eighteenth birthday, just in case.

Now that Janus thought about it, Remus never mentioned the temperature he felt when he turned eighteen a few months ago. There was no indication that Remus was searching for his soulmate or that his soulmate was searching for him, but then again, Remus was an odd fellow.

-

10:34PM. Janus was curled under his blankets as usual, and Remus was laying on the floor on his back, humming along to the jazz music that Janus decided to play. The mustached teen was rambling about something he had learned in his advanced science class, something about the way octopi mate. Janus had tuned him out a while ago.

“Hey, Rem?” he finally spoke, interrupting Remus’ trail of thoughts. “Do you feel warm or cold?” The other didn’t respond at first, and Janus thought that maybe he struck a nerve with his best friend. “You don’t need to answer that, sorry. I just… realized you never talk about it.”

“It’s hard to explain,” Remus sighed, then he abruptly changed the subject. “Octopi don’t have soulmates, you know? They just… swim. And live.”

-

11:56PM.

“Rem. I’m terrified,” Janus said, curling against his best friend’s chest. Remus wrapped an arm around him tightly. “I don’t want to be cold.”

“I’m right here to keep you warm with a ton of blankets. Plus the heated blanket is right there if you need it,” Remus’ voice was soothing, and his hand grazed along the side of Janus’ face that he could never bear to touch, the side covered with scars and acne.

“If they’re far away from me, will you come with me to meet them?” Janus’ voice was wispy, and he swore he saw a flash of something cross Remus’ features, before the other smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, of course,” he responded. Janus looked at Remus carefully.

“I’d go with you to find yours, if you needed me to.” Janus admitted, and Remus laughed lowly, burying his face in Janus’ shoulder.

“I know you would, Jan.” He leaned up a bit, watching as the clock ticked more until they were only a minute away. Janus was trembling, and Remus held him closely. “You’re gonna be okay, I promise.”

Janus said nothing, watching as the clock showed 12:00AM, and he braced himself for the flood of cold that he was sure would come.

Instead, he was met with a warmth he had never felt before, and suddenly there were too many blankets, and his fluffy socks were too much, and Remus–

Remus. Janus lifted his eyes to meet those of his best friend, who just smiled sheepishly. “I’ve been a furnace for six months, Jan. But I was afraid to tell you. I’m sorry.”

“You… all this time?” Janus pushed all of the blankets off but pulled Remus’ arms so they were still wrapped around his torso, even in the weird sitting position they were situated in. The scarred man wrapped his arms around Remus’ neck, pushing their foreheads together. “I feel so warm and content, Rem.”

“I’m so glad,” Remus smiled, and then they pressed their lips together, their emotions flooding over them. 

Janus would never be cold again.


	9. debate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Nine: When you write something on your own skin it appears on your soulmate’s skin as well.
> 
> Summary: Virgil doodles, Logan writes reminders for homework and stuff. They use one arm to chat, though, and one day, they finally introduce themselves.
> 
> Ship: Analogical (Virgil x Logan)
> 
> CW: Virgil is nonbinary and uses ey/em/eir pronouns.

_ Debate Club Meeting 4PM - Regional Debate Competition _

Virgil glanced at the blue writing that had appeared on eir right forearm. Ey smiled faintly at the precise style of eir soulmate’s writing, and took eir purple pen and wrote a little note underneath the reminder.

_ You got this! _

Logan blinked at the purple scrawl that materialized under his note to himself. Often, his soulmate would send supportive notes, but this one came with a little scribbled heart, and it made Logan’s heart pound gently in his chest. 

_ Thank you! I’m debating the positives of genetic mutation! _

Virgil loved getting these insights into the goings-on of his soulmate’s life. They hadn’t fully introduced themselves yet, only vague comments about things they were doing or how they were feeling, and Virgil would often doodle on eir left arm, earning ratings from the other.

_ I wish I could come support you! Maybe someday? _

Logan never believed in the whole “heart skipping a beat” thing that romance authors often penned, but seeing that note from his soulmate definitely made him flutter a bit in his seat. He often bounced around from wanting to get to know his soulmate more deeply but also wanting to keep their distance; he could never decide for sure what he wanted when it came to his soulmate.

_ I’d like that. —Logan (he/him/his pronouns) _

A name. Ey had a name for eir soulmate now. Virgil felt both anxious at this knowledge but also giddy, and ey wanted to tell Logan everything. But something held em back from responding to this message, from saying eir name and eir pronouns. So ey didn’t respond; not for a few days, until a message from Logan reappeared on eir arm, the remnants from Logan’s reveal fading away from that spot on eir forearm.

_You okay? Should I have refrained from telling you my name?_ _—Logan_

_ I’m okay. Sorry. -Virgil (ey/em/eir pronouns please) _

Logan had heard of these pronouns before but had never met someone with them, and he was glad now to know the name of his soulmate and eir pronouns. He wanted to scoop em up in his arms so that he could protect em from the world. Another message from Virgil appeared on Logan’s arm.

_ How did the debate competition go? -Virgil _

_ It went well, thank you. We are moving on to the State competition. —Logan _

_ What state? -Virgil _

_ Florida. —Logan _

_ Can I meet you at the competitions? I’m not in debate, but… I want to go to see you. -Virgil _

_ Yes, please. I’d love to meet you. —Logan _


	10. birthmark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Ten: You are born with a birthmark, similar to a tattoo, that is shared by your soulmate.
> 
> Summary: Virgil’s fairly certain that he’ll never meet his soulmate. But when his also soulmate-less bestie Patton finally finds his other half, Virgil is suddenly that much closer to finding his own destiny.
> 
> Ship: Dukexiety (Remus x Virgil)
> 
> CW: Remus is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. Background Royality.

Virgil didn’t like to look at the birthmark on his wrist; it was a reminder of what he didn’t yet have and was thoroughly convinced that he’d never get to experience. He was about to turn 30 and had yet to meet the person with a matching birthmark. Maybe they’d died as a teen, maybe they were from a different country. Regardless, as Virgil watched his best friends find their soulmates and get married and begin their lives together, he receded farther into himself, wearing long sleeves or applying concealer to mask the mark on his wrist.

One night on his way home from work, he stopped into a bar to meet with Patton, who also hadn’t met his soulmate. Except when Virgil neared their usual booth, Patton was sitting next to a man who vaguely resembled a famous actor. Virgil slid into his spot, waiting for Patton’s explanation.

“I met my soulmate, Virge!” He exclaimed happily, leaning his head on the man’s shoulder. “This is Roman Prince.” Virgil blinked. 

“ _ The _ Roman Prince?” He asked, staring at the man. Roman shrugged, holding out his hand. Virgil shook it once. “How did… you find each other?”

“I was watching an interview with Roman and noticed his birthmark, so I reached out to his agent, sending a picture of my own. He called the next day,” Patton reminisced, eyes sparkling with happiness. Virgil smiled weakly.

“I’m so happy for you, Pat. You deserve this,” he said, and Patton reached his hand out gently to rub Virgil’s arm. 

“You’ll find your soulmate someday, Virge. I know it,” he said comfortingly, and Virgil just nodded.

“It takes some time for people. My twin hasn’t met their soulmate yet either. They sometimes want to get the thing surgically removed, but no surgeon will do it. They’re really tired of looking at the octopus,” Roman said, which made Virgil’s eyes snap up to meet his. 

“What?” Virgil’s voice squeaked out, and Roman raised an eyebrow at him. “An octopus?” He was tempted to pull the sleeve of his favorite hoodie up, but it had to be a coincidence. There could be no logical explanation to this, at least not in Virgil’s mind. Roman’s eyes focused on the spot where Virgil toyed with the edge of his sleeves.

“It looks part octopus, part storm cloud. An odd thing, really,” he said. “I think I have a photo of it if you want to see it…” Virgil wanted to scream and say no and run out of the bar and never look back. But he knew that he needed to see this. He needed to know. So he nodded, and Roman pulled his phone out of his pocket, and opened up a photo.

It was of a person with curly brown hair that had a gray streak in the bangs, a mustache, and an… interesting outfit of a black leather jacket, army green crop top, and a leather skirt, with fishnet stockings and combat boots. The sleeves of their jacket were rolled up, and there, on their wrist, was a birthmark matching the one that Virgil had memorized at the age of four.

“Where are they right now?” Virgil breathed out, and a look of excitement covered both Roman and Patton’s features. 

“They’re at the hotel a few blocks over, I’ll call them to come here.”

“Don’t tell them why. Not yet.”

-

And then Virgil was sitting beside Remus, who was dressed similarly to how they were in the photo, except their curly hair was pulled into a bun and they were wearing a purple crop top under their leather jacket.

“Didn’t wanna be a third wheel, eh?” They smirked, bringing their mug of beer to their lips. “I’ve been a third wheel in that hotel room with those two. It’s like they’ve been virgins their whole lives, waiting for each other.”

“You haven’t waited for your soulmate?” Patton squeaked out, his hand holding Roman’s tightly. He exchanged a nervous glance with Virgil, who shrugged.

“I have, but I don’t think I’ll be that way with my soulmate. Unless they’re someone really hot,” Remus responded. “So, Virgil, you haven’t met your soulmate yet either, huh?”

“Uh, no. I don’t think so,” Virgil toyed with the sleeve of his hoodie, then pulled it up to his elbow. Remus’ jaw dropped and they grabbed Virgil’s wrist, inspecting it. “Or maybe I have.”

“Oh my god, it’s you,” Remus’ voice was quieter than it had been before, and they slid the sleeve of their jacket up, too. “You’re my soulmate.”

“I guess so,” Virgil shrugged, but he smiled faintly, meeting Remus’ bright green eyes. “I’m glad that no one would surgically remove it for you.” Remus glared at Roman but smiled, scooting closer to Virgil.

“Can I kiss you?” Remus whispered, and Virgil only nodded, feeling smooth fingers grab his chin, a pair of chapped lips meeting his own, as if both of them had imagined this moment for their whole lives. It was perfect.

When Virgil celebrated his 30th birthday a few months later, he no longer had fears about the rest of his life. He had his soulmate, and if he had to wait another thirty years to find Remus, he would have been glad to wait.


	11. compass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Eleven: Pick your favorite Soulmate AU and write about it, it can be from this list or something completely different.
> 
> Summary: Somehow, Remus is the thread that holds them all together. Stranger things have happened.
> 
> Ship: DLAMP w/ Creativitwins, Dukemile

Remus knew he was special. It was something that had to be explained to him early on; he wouldn’t have a soulmate like the other kids. His role was as plain as the mark on his wrist: an infinity sign. No, he was one of the rare ones who helped others find their destinies.

It just so happened that he would be helping his twin brother find his soulmates. Roman had four unique marks on his left wrist, each one denoting a separate soulmate. Looking at it from above was almost like looking at a compass; at least, that was what Remus’ instinct was. And so they decided to try out that theory. 

To the east, they followed the pale blue heart, and when the twins were in middle school, they met Patton. He was cheerful with curly hair and round glasses and Roman was smitten immediately with the cute boy. They’d snuggle and watch Disney films, Remus preparing popcorn and ensuring that the pair had enough blankets. 

To the north, they followed the indigo brain, and when the trio was in high school, they bumped into prodigy and genius Logan. He was a brainiac through and through, but he accepted his fate, and thus joined their little ragtag group; while Roman and Patton would snuggle during films, Logan was perfectly happy sitting in a reading chair, drinking peppermint tea and diving into mystery novels. That was how things always went, until Remus plucked the book from the nerd’s hands and pushed him over to be enveloped in hugs and cheek kisses by the other two.

It took a while longer for them to find the one leading south. They were almost completed with their university tenure when they found Virgil, an anxious and introverted fellow who was hesitant to allow the other four into his life. It was Remus, of course, who had convinced the man to live in their tiny apartment together. He used his words, albeit some odd ones thrown in there, to show Virgil that he deserved the love that the other three could provide to him. And so then there were four.

Years passed, and the five thought that maybe they’d never find their western soulmate. Remus scoured soulmate message boards, followed every instinct, and dedicated the better part of ten years to finding him. One afternoon, while doing grocery shopping for the household, he ran into Janus; a scarred man who typically never left the house but the grocery delivery wasn’t in service that week and he desperately needed milk. And that was where Remus found him, balled up against the milk aisle, tears in his eyes. Remus held out his hand, and the man took it.

Remus brought him home to the others, and he was welcomed with open arms and loving eyes. That night, Remus lay in bed, realizing that his work was done. He had found his twin brother all of his soulmates, and now they were all together to live out their destiny.

And Remus was fulfilled, yes. But he was lonely. He wasn’t needed anymore; if the others fought, it was resolved with Logan’s logical discourse, Janus’ psychological training, and Patton’s hugs.

Remus left the following morning, leaving only a note stating that he was heading to a community for soulmate finders to go once their duties were done. He found a family there, one that understood him more than even his brother ever could.

And there, he was free to choose. So he chose Emile Picani, the resident cartoon-lover who had acted as a psychiatrist for all entering the community of finders. With him, Remus found belonging, care, and the freedom that he needed to finally love and be loved, outside of society’s walls.

When he visited his brother, he found joy and love and care, but he always preferred staying with Emile. Emile made him feel wanted, not just needed. Emile listened to the intrusive thoughts and the couple worked through them together.

Later on down the line, Remus got a tattoo of a compass on his wrist, reminding himself of where he had been, yes; but it was also a reminder to keep going.


	12. man of his dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Twelve: You meet your soulmate in your dreams every night.
> 
> Summary: Remy and Remus meet every night; over time, Remy becomes an insomniac.
> 
> Ship: Dukesleep (Remus x Remy)

The first time that Remy met his soulmate, it was in their shared dreamspace. Remy was lying on an island beach and up walked a child his age, fake mustache plastered over his lips and wacky, colorful clothes donned over his thin body. Remy slid his glasses up to glance at him. 

“And who would you be, babe?” he asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking at the jaunty walk of the other. 

“I’m Remus, but you can call me anytime,” he responded, and Remy scoffed, wanting to lay back down onto his towel and enjoy the rest of his dreams. “You must be my soulmate.”

“I don’t know about that,” Remy responded coldly, watching as Remus sat down in the sand beside him, burying his toes as far as they could go. It reminded Remy of ostriches, who buried their heads deep into the sand. “I’m Remy,” he finally said.

The two sat in silence for a while. Remus sighed, stretching his arms over his head. “Well, not that this wasn’t fun, but I should wake up so I can torment my brother a little bit. See you tomorrow night, soulmate.”

-

The pair met in much the same way over the next few years, usually in Remy’s dreamspace. They’d complain about their families to each other and whine about school. Remus would make crude jokes and Remy learned to appreciate the humor that his soulmate held, and he even began to enjoy seeing what outfits the other could come up with.

When Remy was in high school, though, he began to suffer from extreme insomnia, so he seldom saw Remus in his dreams. Due to this, Remus began to grow more concerned for his soulmate, but they never mentioned where they lived or where they could find each other. So Remus was helpless.

One night, when Remy did manage to fall asleep, he ended up in Remus’ mindspace; unlike Remy’s, which always took the form of a relaxing beach, this was far simpler, and a bit surprising given the strange mind that Remus had. It was an apartment. Remy found himself immediately feeling at home there, and Remus held him close, talking about how worried he was and how he’d search the whole world for Remy so that he’d be able to protect his soulmate from the evil aliens and octopi and spiders.

When Remus wasn’t looking, Remy wrote down his phone number, then woke up. A few hours later, his phone chimed, and there was a time and an address. It was a coffee shop; it just so happened to be Remy’s favorite. He wondered how often he and Remus had passed each other or been a few minutes away from each other.

When he stepped into the coffee shop the following day, he immediately spotted Remus, who was dressed similarly to how he usually did in their dreamspace. He stepped up to the man, pushing his sunglasses up, and smirked.

“Hey, babes.”


	13. superhero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Thirteen: Everyone is born with a super power, but when soulmates are together their powers are nullified by each other.
> 
> Summary: Virgil hates his superpower, and when too much time passes without his soulmate, he decides to become the villain that everyone thinks he is. Remy finally finds him, tasked with putting the Storm Cloud to rest, but finds that he no longer has his abilities.
> 
> Ship: Anxsleep (Virgil x Remy)
> 
> CW: anxiety attacks, kind of unsympathetic Virgil but only because of his superpower and the fact that he can’t control it

Virgil couldn’t wait until he met his soulmate. He thought that his superpower was a curse and that everyone treated him like a villain because of it, so he searched everywhere he could. Travelled everywhere, interacted with everyone even though it set his teeth on edge and made his anxiety boil over until he was sitting in the corner on the floor, his head between his knees. And then, like clockwork, the anxiety would spread to those who were in the same room, in the building, on the block.

Part of him wanted to go and live in a cave somewhere so that he could suffer alone from his anxiety, but another part of him begged him to become the villain that everyone thought he was. And, unfortunately for the world, that was the part that prevailed.

-

“This guy’s tough, he inflicts anxiety upon everyone in whole cities and towns, and we need you to catch him, put him to sleep, and then bring him back so we can control him until his soulmate shows up,” Remy was staring at his nails, picking a fleck of dirt from under them as he listened to his boss drone on about his next target. He enlisted in a superhero program as an 18-year old in the hopes of bumping into his soulmate and never having to worry about accidentally putting others to sleep, but now he was nearing the age of 35 and, frankly, didn’t give a damn about if he’d ever meet them.

“Alright, babes, I’m on it,” he finally said, voice cool and nonchalant as ever. “What’s the name of this guy again?”

“Storm Cloud is what they call him.”

-

Remy scoured the building, rumored to be the last known location of Storm Cloud, and sighed as he reached the roof. He slid his glasses back over his eyes and leaned against the wall out at the city, feeling a sense of unease. Remy knew this guy was powerful, and if he had been in the building and that large of a sense of panic was still lingering… then Remy was definitely in for a treat.

He heard grumbling around the corner of the building and stepped around the corner a bit to see a man huddled against one of the walls, wearing only a pair of black jeans and a patched hoodie. But he knew immediately who it was, he’d seen the photos: it was Storm Cloud.

“Hey,” he said, and the man’s eyes snapped up, a hiss rising from the back of his throat. Remy held his hands out in warning, stepping closer. “Look, I don’t want to have to do this, but I need you to come with me.”

“Go away,  _ Sleep _ ,” the voice was low and grumbly and if Remy wasn’t trying to take this guy down then he’d probably try to take him out on a date. He saw the purple glow of Storm Cloud’s eyes fade, though, and furrowed his brow. “What the hell?? My powers…”

“They’re gone,” Remy said, sitting down beside him. He reached out a hand and set it on Virgil’s knee, but sleep did not come to the anxious man. “Huh. Looks like we’re soulmates, babe. Never thought I’d get to meet you.”

“I… I’m not the villain anymore,” Virgil’s voice and hands were trembling, and Remy pulled the man into his arms. “I’m free.” He looked up at Remy from under his bangs, and smiled weakly. “My name is Virgil.”

“I’m Remy. Do you like coffee?”


	14. hard of hearing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Fourteen: The first words you hear your soulmate speak are written on your arm.
> 
> Summary: Logan is deaf, and yet there are words on his forearm. Emile hopes that their instincts are correct.
> 
> Ship: Lomile (Logan x Emile)

They didn’t know for sure if they were soulmates. People who were or whose soulmates were (or would become) hard of hearing or mute often were born with no words on their wrists. But Logan and Emile  _ were _ . Logan, born deaf, had the words  _ Can You Hear Me _ ? written on his forearm, indicating that someday, his soulmate would ask those words. Emile’s arm said  _ I Can Hear You _ .

The pair met in college as roommates and became fast friends; Emile knew sign language since his mother had become deaf after an accident, and so he often tagged along with Logan to places to act as a translator. They discussed their soulmate’s words often, and slowly fell in love, though it was quiet and drawn out, and something neither of them intended to happen.

Emile hoped that their words were connected and that, someday, he’d get to hear Logan’s voice, and that Logan would hear his. It seemed unlikely as they grew older, graduating university and moving into an apartment together. He would lay on Logan’s chest, listening to the calm breathing of his partner, unsure of how their future could pan out if they weren’t each other’s soulmates.

They began their careers; Logan as an astronomer and Emile as a children’s therapist. Things were going so well with them, so they decided over tea one morning that they should get married. A year later, they signed their vows at the altar, tears streaming down their faces in the silence.

Years passed, they adopted dogs and had plants and things were good. If they weren’t soulmates, they were tied together inextricably anyways, through their own choices. And that was okay.

But technology was advancing, and when Logan was nearing the age of 50, his doctor told him about this revolutionary implant that helps those who were born fully deaf to hear, albeit faintly. He almost turned it down, but he noticed the words on his wrist, and agreed.

Emile held his hand as the implants were inserted, and then they waited. When the doctor gave a thumbs up, their eyes met, and Emile smiled, the skin around his eyes crinkling behind his tortoiseshell glasses. “Can you hear me?”

Logan almost burst into tears. He could hear his husband’s voice, and it was beautiful and wonderful. He composed himself and then fought to get the words out: “I can hear you.”

Emile hugged him tightly, their lips pressing together hurriedly, and he whispered against his husband’s lips: “I love you, Logan. I’m so glad it’s you.”


	15. stupid liar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Fifteen: It is impossible to lie to your soulmate.
> 
> Summary: Janus was a habitual liar for a reason. He wanted to be sure that once he met his soulmate, he knew. So he lied in every damn interaction. Patton, on the other hand, swore he'd never lie to someone, which only complicated his soulmate search.
> 
> Ship: Moceit (Patton x Janus)
> 
> CW: lots of lying.

Janus was a habitual liar. For good reason, of course. Everyone knew that you would be physically incapable of lying to your soulmate once you met them, so Janus lied in every single interaction he had with new people (and, to be honest, in a lot of his interactions with those he encountered every day). 

It started off small when he was a kid. Lying about how he lost his tooth or why his face looked the way it did. But, as he grew older, the lies became like a second language to him, and he found himself lying his way to getting the jobs and opportunities he wanted, with only slight remorse for all of it. 

He wanted to lie to everyone, so that, when the time came, he would know.

-

Patton hated liars. He knew it was the way of the world, that people lied their way to finding their soulmates, and he accepted that there was a bit of kindness in that, but he could never bring himself to lie to anyone. Not even little white lies about how he was feeling or why he was late to work. 

And, of course, this only complicated his own search for his soulmate. He watched as all of his friends found their through deceitful means and he just couldn’t bear to find his own soulmate that way. What was the point of finding someone whose soul was meant for yours when you could only find them by being awful to everyone else?

If he had met his soulmate already, he’d never know. A part of him could not be at peace with this, but he pushed that part of him down. He was a kind man and he would be known that way as long as he had to be.

-

Janus stood in line at the grocery store, anxiously tapping his foot as the man in front of him took forever to count out the coins he would be paying with. The man was a bit shorter than him, with glasses so big they were like the bottoms of soda bottles, and he had a blue sweater on. He, frankly, looked too cozy, and Janus was ready to spit lies at him to make his day as bad as his own.

Except the words wouldn’t come. They stuck in his throat, making him nearly have a coughing attack. The man and the cashier looked up at him, startled, and his eyes widened when he realized what this meant.

“Lie to me,” Janus said to the man, a pleading look on his face. “Please. Do it.”

“I- I don’t like to lie to people,” the man said, taking a step back, looking a bit terrified.

“You won’t be able to. I just tried to say something rude to you, a lie of course, and I couldn’t. Try. Please,” Janus was begging now, and the other shoppers nearby had gone quiet, watching the interaction. He watched as the man pursed his lips in thought, then opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

“I… I can’t lie. I’m trying to, I swear that I am,” he said, and then his face lit up brightly. “That means…” Janus threw his items onto the conveyor belt.

“I’ll pay for all of his stuff and mine, thank you,” he said to the cashier as kindly as possible, swiping his card. He watched the other man step closer to him carefully. “My name is Janus.”

“I’m Patton,” the man said, smiling up at him. “I’m so glad to have finally met you.”


	16. voice inside my head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Sixteen: When your soulmate listens to music or is singing, you hear it in your own head as well.
> 
> Summary: Virgil hears Disney songs at an early age, so he strikes back during high school with emo music. And then he hears theater music, and then, suddenly, his soulmate’s voice is shining through.
> 
> Ship: Prinxiety (Roman x Virgil)

It first started with Disney songs. Virgil would put his pillow over his head as the songs from Snow White, Cinderella, and Aladdin rang through his ears even though he was nowhere near a television set; by the time he was seven, he had the entire canon memorized along with his soulmate. It was infuriating. 

So, when Virgil got into emo music in high school, he knew that his soulmate was being put through the same thing that he once had been. He’d slide his headphones over his head and blast Evanescence or Paramore, smirking to himself as the music overtook his own mind.

But then the theater songs started, and he was sure that it was payback for all of the music he’d blast at three in the morning. Oh, the theater music. RENT and Into the Woods and Hamilton and it was so much, too much. 

And then something shifted, shortly after Virgil’s 18th birthday. Instead of the songs that his soulmate was listening to… he started hearing a distinct voice, singing all of these songs. It started with the theater songs but soon enough, at certain points in the day he could hear the soft singing of one of his own favorite songs.

Virgil was floored. His soulmate was singing  _ to _ him. He’d consider it a serenade if the songs weren’t about death and depression, but it still made his heart flutter every time that voice started ringing through his mind. He found himself start tapping his toes to the sound of that soothing voice.

Once he went off to college, he played more classical and lofi music to help him study, but his soulmate still sang those favorite songs of his. Often. It was comforting, knowing that the person who he was meant to meet someday was on the other side of this tether, singing songs that they had unknowingly both become fans of.

One day as he walked through the music building (he was taking a music appreciation class), he passed by an empty room, the sounds of his soulmate’s voice in his mind. Except… he could hear it externally. He peeked his head into the room to see a man sitting on top of a piano, all alone, no music playing but the words to “Vindicated” by Dashboard Confessional flying from his lungs. When he noticed Virgil, he stopped.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude, but, um… my name is Virgil, and…” he took a deep breath, meeting the other man’s eyes. “I think we are soulmates.” The man hopped down from the piano and took a few steps closer to Virgil.

“Oh. Um. I’m not really sure how to test this…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh! I know. This morning I was singing along to a song that my soulmate played on repeat a lot a few years ago. What song did you hear this morning?”

“This morning… I heard “Ignorance” by Paramore,” Virgil said, remembering the way that his soulmate had sung along to the words. He looked up again and saw a smile forming on the other’s face.

“That’s it,” he whispered. “Oh! I suppose I should introduce myself,” he bowed dramatically, taking Virgil’s hand and planting a kiss just above the knuckles. “My name is Roman.”

“It’s nice to finally meet the voice that’s been inside my head for so long,” Virgil murmured softly, earning a confused look from Roman. “When you sing, I can hear you.”

“Oh! Well, I hope that I’m good,” Roman chucked awkwardly, and Virgil nodded.

“You have the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard.”


	17. in your eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Seventeen: Everyone has heterochromia, one eye is your natural color the other is your soulmate’s natural color. Once you meet all eyes return to natural color.
> 
> Summary: Janus is absolutely terrified that his accident will impact his eyes returning to their natural color.
> 
> Ship: Desleep (Janus x Remy)
> 
> TW: mentions of traumatic incident (a fire), burn mentions

Janus was concerned that his soulmate had already met him, but that he’d never know due to the nature of his accident. When he woke up in the hospital, the entire left side of his body burned badly, the doctors told him that his left eye, which was always a hazel color (his soulmate’s eye color), might never change. The flames had damaged his eye, and they were unsure of the impact it would have on the soulmate tether. So, each morning, he looked in the mirror at his one brown eye, then at his green eye, and turned away, knowing that he might be doomed to a lifetime of loneliness.

As the manager for a theater company, he travelled quite a bit, ensuring that everything ran smoothly. One morning he woke up in a hotel room, got dressed, and went out to find the closest coffee shop; not a chain, not one in the hotel, but a small, locally owned shop. Janus knew that they’d have the best lattes around, and he needed to find sustenance before beginning his long week in the city.

He spotted a small shop rather quickly, noticing the name of the place being “Sleep is for the Weak”, and smirked a bit at the name. The owner had a sense of humor, it seemed, and Janus entered the shop, glancing around and surprised to see quite a few people sitting at tables or on couches, enjoying their drinks and breakfasts. He stood a bit in front of the counter, eyes glancing up at the wide variety of things listed on the menu in beautiful calligraphy. 

“What can I get for ya, babe?” A voice called him back down from the list, and his eyes fell to see a man in an apron, a name tag that spelled out Remy, and sunglasses perched on the top of his head. His right eye was amber-colored, and the other green, and Janus thought that he might faint. Remy blinked at him, then met Janus’ eyes. “Well, hello there.”

“I- I should go, before-” Janus was turning around, knowing that if this man was his actual soulmate, he’d only bring him pain if his eye didn’t change back to his natural color. But he could only take a few steps before a hand caught his wrist, spinning him to look at Remy right in the eyes. As their touch reverberated throughout their bodies, Remy blinked once, and when his eyes opened, both were amber. Janus tried not to blink but failed, and when he opened his eyes, Remy was smiling at him.

“You have beautiful green eyes, babe. Can I get your name so I can give you a drink on the house and my number?”


	18. what a bunch of a-holes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Eighteen: Your soulmates first impression/thoughts about you are written somewhere on your body.
> 
> Summary: "What an asshole". Virgil's absolutely terrified about these words, and he tries to be kind to people, but it's so difficult sometimes. Janus just thinks that everyone is an asshole.
> 
> Ship: Anxceit (Virgil x Janus)
> 
> CW: Janus is nonbinary and uses xe/xem pronouns
> 
> TW: anxious thoughts. brief familial moxiety. mentions of butts (...and yet Remus is not in this one?). seriously, the word “asshole” is written here at least 10 times.

The location of the words didn’t help the fact that “What an asshole” was written on Virgil’s body. It was humiliating, having to ask his dad to read the words out to him when they appeared on his body at the age of ten. And then his dad had to explain what an asshole was. 

“Well, kiddo, it’s, uh… when someone isn’t exactly… nice to other people. So they compare you to a butthole,” his dad explained, which did not help. Of course the words were written on Virgil’s butt. 

From that point forward, Virgil made it his mission to try to be kinder to others, the way his dad was. Except that only made his anxiety worse, somehow. Was he being too fake? Did others think he was weird for being so nice all the time? It was exhausting being kind, sometimes. Sometimes he just wanted to snap at someone for being rude, or yell at people to leave him alone while he spiraled.

-

Janus, frankly, thought that everybody was an asshole. Xe didn’t mask these thoughts, not ever. If xe ever thought that someone was being rude, he’d snap easily. Of course, this wasn’t exactly conducive to xem making friends, but… xe’d meet xirs soulmate eventually, right?

Xe didn’t exactly mind that the words written on the top of xir feet read “What an asshole,” but it did make it a bit harder for Janus to locate xir soulmate, since everyone regarded xem as an asshole. 

In Janus’ senior year of high school, xe had to go to a new school, so there were plenty of new people to consider xem as an asshole. Xe wore xir best on xirs first day there, donned in a yellow skirt, black tights and tank top, and a black leather jacket, all pulled together with xir signature combat boots and bowler hat. Xe introduced xirself in each class with xir pronouns and name, earning a few snickers, to which xe glared and spat at for being rude. 

In lab, xe sat next to a boy named Virgil, who wore a hoodie, leggings, and combat boots not dissimilar to Janus’, and yet, all Janus could think, and was unable to keep from spilling out of xir mouth, was “What an asshole.” Virgil was too kind, making a point to be sure to use Janus’ pronouns, which no one ever paid xem the respect to do so. But Virgil’s reaction at the words startled Janus.

“What did you just say?” Virgil’s voice was trembling, and Janus worried that the boy would start crying or something. “You… think I’m an asshole?”

“Yeah, what of it?” Janus rolled xir eyes at the reaction, but Virgil just kept staring.

“That’s my soulmate’s first impression of me,” he breathed out, “and no one has ever thought of me like that before.”

“Well, what’s your first impression of me?” Janus asked, quirking an eyebrow up. 

“Well… you’re kind of an asshole, Janus. But you seem cool,” Virgil responded. Janus exhaled, then nodded.

“Well, asshole, it appears we are two assholes who are soulmates. Wanna go to dinner later?”


	19. leading to you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Nineteen: Everyone is born with a compass on their wrist, the needle of the compass points towards your soulmate. (I changed the prompt a bit by having the compass appear randomly after the age of 18)
> 
> Summary: Finally, the compass appeared on their wrists. Both of them fear the lack of acceptance, but it doesn’t stop them from taking one step closer to his destiny.
> 
> Ship: Loceit (Logan x Janus)

Logan felt the compass appear before he saw it. They appeared randomly after both soulmates turned eighteen, and finally, his was there, a bit of time after his 21st birthday. Pointing east, the arrow slightly larger than he had anticipated. He’d read up on the science of the soulmate compasses, and learned that the bigger the arrow, the closer that the soulmates were to each other.

Logan glanced at his wall calendar; he had nothing scheduled for the whole weekend, thankfully, so he dug his backpack out of his closet and made sure he had everything he needed just in case the search took a bit longer.

What would he say when he finally met his soulmate? He wondered what they looked like, what they wanted to do for a living, if they were going to college. As he told his roommate where he was going, he thought more about this; as he drove in the direction of the compass, the arrow slowly getting larger, he thought. Would they accept him as ace? Would they still love him for who he was, a space nerd? 

He figured that they wouldn’t have much of a chance.

-

Janus could feel the prickles as the arrow grew larger, and he worried about what his soulmate would do when they finally met. He was about to get into his car to start driving, but noticed the arrow getting larger, meaning that his soulmate was on their way.

Would they love him despite his scars? Would they support him as he pursued his career as a lawyer? Would they accept him as being ace?

He walked to a park near his apartment building, deciding that an open space would be best for their first meeting. He sat on a blanket, book on philosophy in his hands, but didn’t read a single word on the pages; instead, his eyes focused on his wrist, the arrow getting larger, until he heard footsteps approaching him. The arrow on his wrist began spinning wildly, and he looked up. 

The man standing before him had a button-up shirt covered in planets and stars, a jean jacket, and dark blue jeans. He carried a backpack and had square glasses. Janus fell in love instantly, as he stood up and smiled awkwardly at the man who was his soulmate.

“Hi,” he breathed out, hoping his soulmate would appreciate his black leather jacket and yellow button-up and black jeans. He wanted to show off who he was, after all. “My name is Janus. Would you like to sit and chat for a bit? I’ve got some tea and snacks in my bag.”

“I’m Logan,” the man breathed out, smiling warmly. “And yes, I would love to.”

“Before you do, I should tell you… I’m asexual,” Janus admitted, his eyes meeting dark blue ones. “I’m not aromantic, though.”

“I’m ace, too,” Logan whispered quietly, and Janus beamed up at the slightly taller man. “I think this is the beginning of something wonderful.”


	20. birthday gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Twenty: You can send one item to your soulmate every year. (I have made it so they can send the items on their birthdays)
> 
> Summary: The first few items are simple. They include letters every year. And then they decide to finally meet.
> 
> Ship: Royality (Roman x Patton)

The first few gifts were always things that parents had sent in the soulmate box. For Patton, his mom put in his favorite stuffed animals or snacks that he loved. Roman’s parents put in clothes, and Patton would always snuggle closely to them. Both sets of parents would write long letters about their ages, the progress the boys had made. Roman and Patton were lucky; some parents, upon learning that their child’s soulmate was of the same gender, would shut off all communication between the pair, making it impossible for the soulmates to get to know each other.

Patton sent his first gift to Roman when he turned four. He got so excited about sending his “soulheart” a gift on his birthday that he tried stuffing the box to the brim, but his mom made sure only one object was in there along with the usual letter. The object that Patton finally settled on was his baby blanket, and when Roman woke up on Patton’s birthday to the blanket, he snuggled it close.

Roman didn’t send his first official gift to Patton until he was five. It was a drawing he had made of cats and dogs, knowing that Patton was fond of animals. It made Patton so happy to see it that he had it pinned up on his wall for many many years.

As the years went on, the pair sent back and forth things of great importance as well as letters. Roman often wrote about the community plays he participated in and included the playbills. Patton included whole notebooks of letters, things throughout the year he wanted to tell Roman, ranging from animals he saw to friends he got to know. Roman would sit in the dark and read through these letters often, and by the time they reached high school, he knew that he was in love, and was thankful that they were soulmates.

Finally, one year, Patton sent his phone number, announcing that he’d be going off to college soon, and he wanted to meet Roman in person.

By some strange stroke of luck, they were to be attending the same university. So on visit day, the two agreed to meet in a coffee shop. They hadn’t seen photos of each other, deciding back in elementary school that they’d wait until they met in person to see what the other looked like.  _ It’ll be super romantic _ , Roman wrote one year. Patton agreed.

Of course, now, as he was sitting at a table outside a coffee shop, drinking his tea and watching as Roman’s coffee was set down in front of the empty seat at the table, he was absolutely wishing that he knew exactly who he was looking for. But then he heard a booming, sultry voice approaching him, and it was like his heart  _ knew _ .

Roman stepped up to him, wearing a red leather jacket, black shirt, and blue jeans. Patton blinked, a smile crossing his features as he stood up and let himself be scooped into the arms of his soulmate for the very first time. 


	21. surprise?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Twenty-One: Pick your favorites (1 or more) and combine them! I chose the one where only you and your soulmate(s) can see the animal!
> 
> Summary: Janus and Remus have known they were soulmates for several years, so when a man named Patton comes up and asks to pet their dog… things get interesting.
> 
> Ship: Deintruality (Janus x Remus x Patton)
> 
> CW: threesome soulmates! crime husbands with the bonus of Patton!

Patton was walking through the park one afternoon after work, enjoying the sounds of nature. He passed a pair of men on a bench and smiled at them, his eyes gravitating towards the dog between them. He stepped forward, tilting his head.

“May I pet them?” He asked, gesturing to the fluffy dog. Both men shared a look, then glanced back up at Patton.

“You can… see her?” The one on the right asked. He had a mustache and a gray streak in his hair, and Patton thought that his fashion sense was a bit… out there. He was wearing a black mesh shirt and bright green pants, combat boots on his feet.

“Um… yes, I can,” Patton said, leaning forward to scratch behind the dog’s ears. “What’s her name? She’s got a beautiful coat.”

“Her name is Octosnake, please don’t judge us,” the other one said, and Patton raised an eyebrow. This man had significant scarring and dressed like he was out of a 20s-era film. “We named her when we were drunk one night.”

“Well, it’s definitely… a unique name, that’s for sure,” Patton mused, pulling his hand back. “Um… why were you so surprised that I can see her?”

“She’s our soulmate animal,” the scarred man replied, but he said it in such a nonchalant way that it took Patton a moment to realize the impact of those words. “Which means that you’re our soulmate, too.”

“Guess we gotta rename her,” the mustached man muttered grumpily. “I’m Remus, that’s Janus, and welcome to the chaos of being soulmates with a lawyer and a stripper.”

“O-Oh. Um,” Patton rubbed the back of his neck. “I like her name, actually. A-and my name is Patton, I work in a bookshop.”

“Well, Patton, I hope you like strip teases!” Remus cackled, and Janus shot him a glare.

“Don’t scare him off, I like him. He’s cute.” He muttered, and Patton flushed bright red. “Remus and I met a few years ago, but don’t worry, I think you’ll fit right in with us. Plus, Octosnake seems to be a big fan of yours.”


	22. glow-in-the-dark stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Twenty-Two: When you close your own eyes, you can see what your soulmate sees.
> 
> Summary: Logan was positive that he didn’t have a soulmate, or that everyone around him was making up the whole thing. Virgil kept his eyes closed as much as he possibly could, because when he did, he saw what his soulmate saw.
> 
> Ship: Analogical (Virgil x Logan)

Logan was taught from a very young age that when you close your eyes, you see what your soulmate is looking at. His parents would use this to their advantage when doing grocery shopping or attending school productions or events. But whenever Logan closed his eyes, all he saw was darkness. Nothing was there, and as he grew older, he began to think that he didn’t have a soulmate.

Perhaps the whole concept of soulmates was a trick told by parents, like Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy, to make their children believe that love was real and that there would always be someone out there who loved you, who was meant for you. Maybe Logan was doomed to never have someone love him more than life itself, to have someone to hold in the middle of the night as they gazed at the glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling.

Those stars followed him throughout his whole life, from his childhood bedroom to his college dorms and finally into his bedroom of his own apartment, one he moved into once he began working at the local observatory. Every night, he’d lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling of intricately organized glow-in-the-dark stars, mimicking the way the sky looks on his birthday, and hoped that maybe his inklings were wrong. That maybe the stars would be kinder to him tomorrow, that he’d close his eyes and see what his destiny would be.

-

Virgil was born blind. He didn’t mind it too much, since his dad was always there for him and when he focused on the movements of closing his eyes, he saw stars. Specifically, glow-in-the-dark stars on his soulmate’s ceiling. His soulmate spent a lot of time looking at those stars on their ceiling, at stars in books, at doodles of stars in the margins of his school notes. As Virgil and his soulmate grew older, he noticed the stars followed them everywhere.

He wanted to meet the man he had watched grow up through the mirror. The man was tall, thin, and had black framed glasses around his bright blue eyes. He wore lots of button-up shirts and ties and sweaters, and Virgil loved him for the encouraging smile he would give himself as he adjusted his tie every morning.

But Virgil didn’t know how to find him. How do you find someone you’ve only seen when your eyes are closed, and you can’t see when they’re “open”? He finally asked his friends Janus and Remus (who were lucky to find each other in elementary school) for help in finding his soulmate. He would focus on the surroundings of his soulmate, trying to read the signs and describing everything he saw to his friends. Finally, they realized it was an observatory, so they started by going to the one closest to them. Maybe they’d be lucky.

Virgil described him in as much detail as possible, down to the exact things the man was wearing that day, and the trio walked around the observatory for a bit when Janus finally came to a halt.

“Virgil, focus. What does he see right now?” Janus asked, eyes focused ahead.

“I see…” he took a deep breath, focusing on what his soulmate saw. “Three guys, one on each side of…”

“Does the one on the left have a mustache? And the other is wearing a hat?” Remus asked quietly, for once not making jokes or saying inappropriate things.

“He’s here,” Virgil breathed out. He decided to step forward, towards the man. “Excuse me, do you work here?”

Logan’s eyes focused on the man in front of him. “Yes, I do. How can I help you?”

“This is going to sound really weird, but… I’m pretty sure you’re my soulmate. I can see myself right now,” he said. 

“I don’t have a soulmate,” the man said coldly. “When I close my eyes, I see nothing.”

“I’m blind,” Virgil explained quietly. “You have glow-in-the-dark stars on your ceiling. You have ever since you were a child. I know because I’ve been looking at them for my entire life, too.” Logan thought all of the air would be forced from his lungs as the words hit him at full force.

“What’s your name?” He asked the man standing before him. He watched as hands gripped his arms, and a smile crossed the man’s face. 

“I’m Virgil,” he said, and Logan thought the name was the most beautiful he’d ever heard. “And you are…?”

“I’m Logan.”

-

Logan slipped into bed beside Virgil, his arms wrapping around his boyfriend gently. “You still awake, starlight?” He asked quietly, and he felt Virgil nod, then snuggle closer into his chest.

“Will you look up at the ceiling for me?” Virgil asked, as he did every night. Logan smiled, adjusting so he looked up at the glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling, but during the day he had changed them around. Virgil shifted, and then a gasp left his mouth. “Logan… what did you do?”

In the stars, Logan had spelled out  _ Will You Marry Me _ ?


	23. inside your head (literally)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Twenty-Three: At a certain age you switch bodies with your soulmate for 24 hours.
> 
> Summary: Patton is prepared for the day when he wakes up in his soulmate’s body. Remus… not so much.
> 
> Ship: Intruality (Remus x Patton)

Patton glanced around his room, ensuring everything was in its place; he had photos of himself growing up on the dresser, and a whiteboard with his name, address, and other information written on it. He left a phone out by the whiteboard, hoping that maybe they’d get the hint and call him when they woke up in his body. He finally settled under his sheets, ensuring that all of his stuffed animals were positioned perfectly. When his eyes shut at long last, he thought of how magical it would be to meet his soulmate the next day.

-

Remus’ eyes opened wide, and he was on a soft bed, surrounded by stuffed animals. He was in the body of his soulmate, so, naturally, the first thing he did was use his hands to explore their body; he was muscled, toned, but soft in some places, and Remus loved the love handles on his hips. He sat up in bed, noticing the photos around the room and then the whiteboard, and he read down it slowly.

“Patton… he/him… aged 27... phone right there… call? Hm… the address is near mine,” Remus murmured, hopping out of bed and undressing quickly. He stared at his soulmate’s body in the mirror, smirking. “Oh, I can get used to looking at this.” He picked up the phone and dialed his own number, waiting about three rings before he heard his own voice answer the phone. “Hey there, soulmate.”

“Hi!” His voice squeaked at him. Patton sure did use his voice in a different way. “Um… you didn’t leave any information about you. What’s your name? What are your pronouns? How old are you?”

“Slow down there, Pattoncake,” Remus teased, lowering Patton’s voice a bit. “I’m Remus, I use he/him pronouns, and I’m also 27. We’re only a few blocks away from each other, so why don’t we go and meet in the park off of Main?”

“O-Okay… um… can I ask… do you sleep naked?” Patton asked, and Remus cackled.

“Yes, I do. You’d better get used to it, honey.”

-

Remus shifted uncomfortably in the sweater and slacks he had chosen to wear. Patton’s closet was rather boring, something he’d definitely be fixing soon, and he kept his eyes (which, he realized earlier, needed glasses to see better) peeled for… himself? His soulmate in his body. 

He saw a familiar shape walking towards him, and wanted to smack his forehead with his hand when he realized that Patton located his one pair of non-ripped jeans and a sweater with minimal stains on it. The other ran towards him, smiling lopsidedly. 

“Hi, Pattoncake,” Remus said, holding his hand out. When their hands met, he blinked, and when he opened them, they were both back in their own bodies. “Did you like my goods?” Patton turned bright red at this.

“I-I didn’t look! I want to wait,” he responded, rubbing the back of his head. Remus frowned, then shrugged.

“Well, I won’t be surprised,” he muttered, earning another surprised look from Patton. “Don’t worry, darling. I think you’re beautiful from your curly hair to your hairy toes.”


	24. looking ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Twenty-Four: When you meet your soulmate for the first time, you get a brief flash-forward of your future.
> 
> Summary: It wasn’t until Logan and Roman met that they realized there was a third soulmate. It took them a while, but they finally met the man that they pictured when they first met.
> 
> Ship: Analogince (Virgil x Logan x Roman)

Logan had done his fair share of research. When you meet your soulmate’s eyes for the first time, you both catch a glimpse of your future together. It was simple enough. Except Logan wasn’t exactly the type to meet others’ eyes, and a part of him wondered if he’d already met his soulmate and they missed their chance.

“New town, new opportunities,” he said to himself in the mirror, adjusting his tie. It was his first day in a new job as an accountant at a theater company, and he had just moved into a small apartment; it was definitely a step up from his previous job, his previous living situation, but… new things weren’t always easy for him. “I can do this.”

A while later, he stepped into the theater building, glancing around to see if anyone could point him in the right direction. A man with a red leather jacket was walking by, and so he decided to find out where to go.

“Um, excuse me,” Logan piped up, causing the man to halt, his eyes taking in the formal appearance of the accountant. “I’m not sure if you could point me in the right direction, but I’m the new accountant-”

“Ah! Logan! Excellent!” The man’s face brightened up instantly. “I’m Roman, the head of the company!” Logan nodded, and took the hand that was offered to him. “We’re so fortunate to have found you, let me show you where you can work! Please excuse any messes, we have performances coming up.”

“What kind of performances?” Logan asked, trailing behind Roman. 

“We’re doing a kid’s performance of Annie in a few weeks, and an adult performance of Sweeney Todd in about two months,” Roman explained, leading Logan up a flight of stairs into an open office space. Playbills, photos, and papers littered the area. “All of our bills, receipts, and other financial papers are in this file cabinet right here; the previous accountant left a list right on the desktop of things that they did on a regular basis.”

“Should be simple enough,” Logan murmured, finally looking up at Roman again. To his surprise, the man was staring down at him, and their eyes met. A flash of something passed over his eyes, a moment with Roman and… another man? The three were cuddled in bed, this third man in the middle.

“Oh, my, you’re my soulmate,” Roman breathed out, and Logan turned bright red, nodding. “Though it appears that there was someone else in that image, no?”

“There was. It was brief, but… he had purple hair and a black hoodie,” Logan pursed his lips in thought. “We must have a third soulmate.”

“Well, I do hope we meet him soon.”

-

“Lo, it’s time to head home now,” Roman said, reaching the top of the stairs to the office. He smiled warmly at his boyfriend, leaning against the wall. He watched as Logan leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms over his head. Slowly he got up, putting his things into his bag, and stepped towards Roman, a faint smile on his face. Roman leaned down to press a kiss to his lips, then leaned back onto his feet. “Let’s walk home through the park tonight.”

“Okay,” Logan nodded, following Roman downstairs and out of the theater building. The accountant let his boyfriend intertwine their fingers together and they slowly walked back to their shared apartment, following a path through the well-lit park. 

Suddenly, a man bumped into Logan, causing both of them to stumble, and Roman moved quickly to help both of them up. As he helped the man up, he noticed a purple head of hair. “Lo,” he breathed out, and Logan raised his eyes up, noticing the man. Roman’s eyes were wide, and the man looked up at last, their eyes meeting.

A flash of the same future image passed through his eyes, and the man stumbled back again, but Roman caught his arm. “Holy shit,” the man muttered, his hands trembling.

“It’s you,” Roman murmured, smiling. “We’ve been looking for you for so long.”


	25. glowing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Twenty-Five: At a certain age, an item representing your soulmate appears next to you. When you and your soulmate’s items come together for the first time they glow brightly.
> 
> Summary: Patton slowly finds his way towards his soulmates.
> 
> Ship: DLAMP

Patton blinked down at the pile of things that had appeared next to him. There were four things he saw, and so he picked each one up gently, inspecting them with care and devotion. 

The first item he picked up was a tie; it had a galaxy print on it, and there was a tag sewn into the seam that said LC. Patton felt comfort from the tie, and smiled as he threw it around his neck. 

The second item he picked up was a Broadway Playbill. As he flipped through it, he noted the dog-eared pages, and eventually Patton held it close to his chest, a wave of confidence washing over him.

The third item was an eyeshadow palette. When he opened it he saw lots of purples and blacks, and wondered deeply about the soulmate that used these. Patton let his fingers graze alone the well-used black shadows, imagining brushing his fingers over the closed eyes of that soulmate.

The fourth and final item was a bottle of eczema cream. Patton’s first instinct was to worry about his soulmate, because now they were missing the cream that provided them comfort and relief. But Patton still smiled at the near-emptiness of the bottle, and even opened it to rub some on his hands.

Over the next few days, Patton realized that four of his items had gone. His childhood stuffed frog, Hoppy, was missing, and he hoped that whoever had received it got enjoyable cuddles from it. One of his many gray cardigans was gone from his closet, his favorite one, and he pouted when he realized that he wouldn’t be able to wear it again until he met the soulmate who received it. Patton’s glasses repair kit was also missing, which was unfortunate since he had been clumsy and needed to fix his glasses (he had to wear his old ones until he could go and buy a new kit). The last item that was missing was a mug he used frequently for hot chocolate; it had a cat on it and was large enough to include lots of marshmallows and whipped cream whenever he indulged himself in the hot drink. 

Whenever Patton went out, he placed the four items he received in his messenger bag; the leading theory behind your soulmate’s items was that the items would glow as you approached your soulmate. As such, many people, including Patton, invested in a clear-case backpack, so that if the items began to glow, you would know. He was lucky that his four items were fairly small; others were not always so lucky.

He met the owner of the tie first; he was walking home from one of his evening classes when he noticed a faint light behind him; he turned his head and only saw a dark blue glow coming from his backpack, so he rushed to get out the glowing item. It was the galaxy print tie; he held it tightly in his hands and looked around to see if there was any glowing around. He spotted a pale blue light a few hundred yards away, so approached it. A man was standing there, staring at the glasses repair kit in his hands.

“Oh! My glasses kit!” Patton chirped happily, bounding up to the man. “You must be LC!” The man looked at him through thick-framed glasses and nodded, then eyed the tie in Patton’s hands. “I’m Patton!”

“Logan,” the man said softly. “Do you also have three other items? I find it rather peculiar that we have a group of five soulmates.” Patton pursed his lips in thought, running his free hand through his curly hair.

“I think it’s great! More love and care to go around,” he said, giggling a bit, and Logan’s face lightened a bit as he smiled softly. “Can I buy you some hot cocoa?”

-

Logan and Patton quickly fell into a routine with their classes, but found that they were pulled together by a string of emotions. Logan hesitated at first, but Patton assured him that this was all meant to be; the two began dating, going on library dates and walks under the sunsets, their clear backpacks on tightly just in case another one of their soulmates showed up.

One night, they were walking through a park when they heard voices behind them; it almost sounded like arguing, and so the couple peered around the corner to see two men, who looked very much alike (bar one of them having a mustache), wrestling. Patton saw red glows coming from both his and Logan’s backpacks, and a clear backpack not far from the two men began to glow with both dark blue and a light blue. Patton pulled Logan closer, his excitement bubbling over. One of the men noticed the glows (the one without a mustache) and grabbed his bag excitedly.

He pulled out the item glowing with dark blue first, and Patton recalled Logan telling him that one of his favorite science books was one of the items he had lost. Then the man pulled out Patton’s mug.

“It’s you! You’re one of them!” Patton exclaimed happily. “I’m Patton and this is Logan!” The man beamed brightly at them, dropping all of the things in his arms to instead gather the couple with glasses into them.

“Two down, two to go, my gorgeous soulmates!” The man boomed theatrically. “My name is Roman.”

-

Roman fit into the mix quite easily after that. He was much more affectionate than Logan, so he and Patton would often cuddle, though the three of them still took walks in the evenings, Patton between the other two, swinging their hands as if they were children. 

It took a few more years for them to find the final two pieces of their puzzle. The trio was sitting in a coffee shop one day when their backpacks began to glow with both a purple and a yellow light; they glanced up to see two men, startled looks on their faces. Patton noticed that the shorter man with the dark eyeshadow was holding a frog stuffed animal close to him, and the other was wearing his favorite gray cardigan.

Later, Janus would offer Patton his sweater back; but Patton let him keep it, hoping the soft fabric would be kind to Janus’ eczema. Virgil let Patton keep the eyeshadow palette, promising to teach Patton how to do makeup, if he so liked.

The five settled into their lives together, a big house with the biggest bed they could find; each night they’d pile onto it, exchanging kisses and soft words and gentle snuggles. They worked hard, took care of each other, and were happy. 


	26. wanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Twenty-Six: You can’t see shades of your soulmate’s eye color until you meet and look into each other’s eyes for the first time.
> 
> Summary: Virgil looks at the sky, the leaves, the tree bark, and sees gray. Maybe someday, he’ll see life in full color.
> 
> Ship: LAMP (with background Dukeceit)

Virgil adjusted himself so his back was pressed onto the main trunk of the tree he was currently sitting in. He figured that the tree was brown; that’s what everyone told him, anyways. How was he to know that trees were brown, that the sky was blue, and that leaves were green? He’d never seen those colors before, meaning that he had multiple soulmates (or, perhaps, a soulmate with three eyes of various colors, as Remus liked to tease him about. Janus would smack the third of their group whenever he made that comment; Virgil knew the pair had their full range of colors restored back when they met in elementary school). 

He glanced around from his view in the tree. He wondered if his soulmates would easily find him someday, and often he feared that the other three would find each other first and have an established relationship before Virgil even gets thrown into the mix. Of course, he had plenty of time to meet his soulmates; he was only eighteen, most people weren’t as lucky as his two best friends were. 

“Virgin!” He glared down to see Remus standing at the base of the tree, smirking up at him. But he wasn’t alone; and he wasn’t with Janus (which was odd). It was a man who looked startlingly similar to Remus, though this one, admittedly, was cleaned up far nicer. He had the same bouncy curls as the other, but lacked a mustache and evil smirk. He wore white jeans and a nice red shirt under a brown leather jacket, and had red shoes. “This is Roman, my twin! He’s visiting this weekend from college.”

“Oh, dear god, there’s two of them,” Virgil muttered, stretching his arms out before readying to climb back out of the tree. He made a misstep on one of the branches, though, sending a jolt of anxiety through him as he stumbled backwards and onto a body. “Fuck, sorry Rem—” he turned his head and was met with  _ not _ Remus’ eyes. He blinked at the color of Roman’s eyes. “Holy shit—”

“You’re the last one!” Roman exclaimed happily, jumping up and pulling Virgil to his feet with him. “We’ve been looking for you for so long, Patton and Logan are going to be so excited!” Except Virgil had tuned him out; he was looking around at the browns of the tree he was just sitting in. It was beautiful, and he wanted to stare at the tree more but was met with Roman’s eyes again. “You have a very unique color of eyes, Virgil.”

“I- you know the other two already?” Virgil finally realized what Roman had said, and the man started nodding excitedly.

“Lo and Pat met in middle school and I met the two of them a few months ago, and honestly? Sometimes I feel like a third wheel with them, even though they try not to-” Roman stopped speaking suddenly, as if his mind finally caught up with his mouth. “Oh, look at me, I’m rambling. I should call them and tell them so I can be sure to bring you back with me to school-”

Virgil blinked again, glancing at Remus, who shrugged. “Don’t look at me, I had no idea. Jannie’s waiting for me though, later,” the mustached man made a run for it, but Virgil saw the smirk on his face, and sighed. Janus was doing a great job teaching his fiance how to lie.

“So, um, Virgil… maybe we should go get some food, so you and I can get to know each other a little? Lo and Pat had the chance to build whole lives together before I met them, and… I kind of want that with you, if that’s okay.” Virgil felt himself nodding, and watched Roman smile brightly and take his hand tenderly before they began walking away.

Virgil glanced back at the tree he was previously sitting in. A few minutes ago, he had nothing. But now he could see beautiful browns, and soon he’d see greens and blues too; his soulmates had names, and they were  _ looking _ for him. That, presumably, meant that they’d  _ want _ him around, too.

And Virgil had never realized how much he needed to be wanted before; but now, it was all he felt in his bones.


	27. dyed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Twenty-Seven: Your eyes match your soulmate’s hair color. If they dye their hair, your eyes change colors.
> 
> Summary: Roman dyes his hair bright pink to get back at his soulmate for all of the colors they dye their hair. Virgil uses this as a way to finally find his other half.
> 
> Ship: Prinxiety (Roman x Virgil)

Roman stared blankly at the mirror in his bathroom; his eyes had changed colors.  _ Again _ . This was the fourth time in the past several months, and Roman was getting tired of it. He groaned, leaning his head back, then an idea popped into his head.

“Okay, my turn,” he mumbled. He got dressed quickly and then practically flew out of his apartment, headed towards the nearest drugstore. “If they can dye their hair blue, purple, red, and green, then I can dye mine bright pink. Maybe this will teach them a lesson”

And dye it bright pink he did. He had to get Remus’ help, of course, but his twin was always keeping his hair dyed with that streak of gray and occasional bursts of what could only be described as “radioactive green”. Of course, as soon as Roman’s hair was dried and he was staring at the mop of pink curls attached to the top of his head, he immediately regretted his decision to dye his hair in a rage over his soulmate.

“Rem, why did you let me do this!?” He cried out, holding his damp hair between his fingers. His mustached twin just smirked, leaving their shared bathroom quickly to allow Roman to stew over his bad decisions. “I can’t believe I did this.”

-

“I can’t believe they did this,” Virgil muttered, meeting his eyes in the mirror. “This  _ has _ to be them trying to get back at me for the purple.” He sighed, leaning against the wall. “Although… maybe I can try to find them, now that they don’t have the same hair color as nearly everyone else.”

He searched, even though socializing made him anxious. He had wanted to meet his soulmate for so long, dying his hair frequently to see if they were someone he was around, though there was no indication that they were. 

One day, he was in line in the coffee shop when he realized, rather sleepily, that the man standing in front of him had bright pink curls. He tapped the man on the shoulder, and he turned around, their eyes meeting. And both sets of eyes simultaneously widened when they realized that the eyes they were looking at matched the color of their own hair.

“Can I just ask one thing?” Virgil spoke up first, and the man raised an eye in confusion but nodded anyways. “Why the bright pink?”

“It was a moment of weakness; I wanted to get back at you.” He explained, pulling Virgil over to the side to allow the line at the shop to move forward more. “I regretted the choice immediately.”

“I was trying to get your attention with these colors, but I actually really dig the purple,” Virgil admitted, and the man smiled, nodding. “I’m Virgil.”

“Roman,” the other said, letting his fingers meet Virgil’s purple locks. “I like the purple, too. Keep it. I don’t mind the purple eyes, so much.”

“Can you get rid of the pink, though?” Virgil asked, and Roman laughed. Virgil couldn’t wait to hear that song over and over for the rest of his life.

“Yeah, I’ll go back to brown. Maybe red?”

“We can figure it out together.”


	28. dialogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Twenty-Eight: Every night a sentence appears on your arm, a repeat of something your soulmate said that day.
> 
> Summary: Janus grows concerned when the name on his arm is that of a therapist; but on the bright side, they’re only one town over.
> 
> Ship: Anxceit (Virgil x Janus)
> 
> TW: mention of suicide attempt; group therapy session.

Janus liked seeing the little snippets from his soulmate’s day. There was never any context, and usually the dialogue was something to do with school. Every night around 8PM, like clockwork, the words would appear on his left forearm, and he’d gaze at the scrawled writing (often wondering if that’s what his soulmate’s handwriting looked like) and try to figure out what they had been doing that day.

One night, the line “ _ Hi, Dr. Picani _ ,” appeared on Janus’ arm. There had never been a name on his arm in this manner before , and it intrigued Janus even more. He opened a new tab on his laptop, forgetting about his research paper and case study for the time being, and typed in the name Dr. Picani into the search bar. 

The first result was a therapist one town over. He clicked on the page, exploring around, learning that Dr. Picani specialized in family, couple, and individual therapies. Janus almost didn’t believe it to be true; how could it be that his soulmate was so close to him? And why were they going to see a therapist? 

The following morning, Janus made a phone call to Dr. Picani’s office. Obviously, he couldn’t ask who his patients were, especially since he didn’t even know his soulmate’s name. Instead, he decided to inquire about potentially going in to see the therapist, and also found out about group therapy sessions. He decided to start there first.

So, a few days later, Janus was sitting in a circle, Dr. Picani in one chair as the rest of the patients filed in. Janus eyed everyone carefully, but he wouldn’t be able to figure out who his soulmate was since the words on his arm were from the previous day. Maybe if he saw his words on someone’s arm, they’d be able to put the pieces together.

“Alright, everyone. Before we get started with our weekly check-ins, we have a new friend with us today!” Picani announced, gesturing to Janus, who smiled faintly. “Would you like to introduce yourself, Janus?”

“Sure thing,” Janus glanced around, meeting the eyes of a man with dark eyeshadow, then looked down. “Um, let’s see. I’m Janus, I’m 21… I go to the university one town over studying Pre-Law… and, uh, as you can see,” he waved a hand at the left side of his face, “I’ve got a bit of scarring. I’d appreciate it if no one stared at my face.”

“Thank you, Janus. Now, every week we start with a check-in, just how we’re feeling, if anything good or bad has happened in the past week. Do you have anything you want to share?” Dr. Picani asked. Janus pursed his lips in thought.

“I think I came one step closer to finally meeting my soulmate. I don’t know who they are yet, but… I’m hoping that I get to know them soon,” Janus said, twisting his hands together.

“That’s wonderful news, be sure to keep us posted, okay?” Dr. Picani smiled at Janus, who returned the smile. “Alright, who’s next? Virgil? And everyone please state your name so Janus can get to know everyone!”

“Uh, yeah, I guess…” the man with the eyeshadow spoke up. “I’m Virgil, also 21, I’ve been a patient of Picani’s since I was in high school. Let’s see… this week, I reached my fifth anniversary since my suicide attempt.”

A spark of realization tore through Janus, and he kept his eyes down for most of the rest of the meeting. 

Afterwards, he leaned against the wall outside the office, waiting for Virgil to come out of the building. When he did, he stopped in front of Janus, offering a small smile. “You planning on coming back to the meetings? Some people only come once and never return.”

“I think I’ll be back,” Janus responded, meeting Virgil’s eyes. “I think my soulmate is here. A few days ago the words ‘ _ Hi, Dr. Picani _ ’ were on my wrist.” Virgil nodded in understanding.

“What’s on your wrist today? If, uh, you don’t mind me asking,” the man began playing with the sleeves of his hoodie. Janus pulled the sleeve of his coat up, reading the words; it was after 8PM, so these words were new, and he hadn’t seen them yet.

“It says…” Janus didn’t finish his sentence, because Virgil’s introduction and good news were the words on his forearm. Virgil’s fingers trailed over the writing.

“Gosh, my handwriting really is awful,” he muttered, deciding to slide his sleeve up to reveal Janus’ statement about getting close to meeting his soulmate. It was written in Janus’ fancy cursive. “Yours is much better.”

“I… it’s you,” Janus breathed, looking up into Virgil’s eyes. “I didn’t think I’d find you so easily, but I’m so glad that I did.”


	29. accepted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Twenty-Nine: You have a telepathic link with your soulmate until the two of you meet.
> 
> Summary: Logan is terrified that his soulmate won’t accept him; but then he starts talking to Patton, who shows him how to accept himself.
> 
> Ship: Logicality (Logan x Patton)
> 
> CW: Logan is a trans man; Patton is afab, non-binary, and uses they/them pronouns.

Logan was terrified of what would happen when the telepathic link with his soulmate was established. He had barely come to terms with his new name and pronouns, and hadn’t even told his closest friends about how he felt; he could only manage to be open about himself with his online persona, talking about games and anime. 

But now he was about to turn eighteen; and, as the lore goes, when the eldest of the soulmates turns eighteen, a telepathic link is established between the pair until they get to meet in person. Logan wasn’t sure  _ how _ to even introduce himself to his soulmate, let alone if he’d be able to lie to them about him being trans. It terrified Logan to his core knowing that maybe his soulmate wouldn’t accept him or love him or want anything to do with him; he’d read enough blog posts from trans and nonbinary people whose soulmates ignored them (or worse).

The morning of Logan’s eighteenth birthday, he got dressed slowly, slipping his binder on gently and then putting on his favorite black jeans and galaxy print button-up shirt. He stared into his own reflection’s eyes, his blue eyes cold behind his glasses frames, and he carded a hand through his hair, frowning.

He wondered if the link had been established. He thought hard for a moment, and then figured maybe he’d have to think about sending a word over the void. So all he said was  _ Hi, today’s my eighteenth birthday, and if you can hear this, you’re my soulmate. _

It took a few hours for Logan to get a response. He was sitting in the middle of his calculus class, eyes focused on the board, when the words rang through his mind.  _ Hi there!! My name is Patton, I use they/them pronouns. Happy birthday! _

Logan couldn’t believe it. His soulmate was non-binary, and they existed. He wondered what he should say back. Should he introduce himself with his chosen name, the one no one has ever called him? Should he tell Patton that he’s trans? He decided to go for it.  _ Hello Patton. I’m Logan, and I’m a trans man who uses he/him pronouns. Thank you for the birthday wishes. _

Once again, it took a few hours for him to get a response from Patton, but there it was, passing through his brain, once again reminding him that there was someone out there who was made specifically for him. Logan was sitting at his lunch table when Patton’s response came.  _ This might seem kind of forward, but where do you live? If we’re close by I would love to meet you sooner rather than later. Unless that makes you uncomfortable, Lo! I don’t turn eighteen for another month. _

Lo. He had a nickname from his soulmate already, and they were so kind and their voice was so joyful. Logan wanted to hear their voice all the time, he wanted to meet them in person and be comforted by this person who seemed so warm.  _ I don’t know. I’m not out to my family or friends yet. But I start college in the fall at the University of Florida. _

Patton’s response the next time was much quicker, and Logan was still eating lunch.  _ What a strange coincidence! I’ll also be attending UF in the fall. We can wait until then to meet, that way you can get more comfortable with everything. _

Logan appreciated their sentiments and kind heart. 

Over the next few months, the two kept their telepathic link open most of the time, Logan excitedly telling Patton that he came out to his close friends and finally to his parents; he was getting accepted by those around him, but all he cared about was getting to meet and hold Patton in his arms. 

The first day of school rolled around, and Logan sat on a bench in their designated area. He still worried that Patton would see him and run away, disappointed, but when he saw a person walking towards him dressed in a cream-colored sweater, pale blue skirt, and tights, he instantly knew who it was. He stood up, running towards them, and he hugged them quickly.

“Hi, Lo,” Patton whispered into his ear, some of their fingers tangling in Logan’s short hair. “You feel exactly how I hoped you would. Cozy and lovely.”

“Patton, I need to tell you something,” Logan breathed out. He had felt this way for several months, and now that they were in his arms, he knew it to be true. “I love you, and I want to be with you, regardless of what that means.”

“I love you too, Lo. We’re on this journey together.”


	30. mirror image

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Thirty: When you look in the mirror, you can’t see your own reflection, just your soulmate.
> 
> Summary: Janus looks in the mirror on his 21st birthday to see someone who looks startlingly similar to his best friend, except this version lacks a mustache.
> 
> Ship: Roceit (Roman x Janus). background Intruality (Remus x Patton)
> 
> Author’s Note: before you dive into this last soulmate drabble, I just wanna say that I’ve loved writing these so much and that this has been a great way for me to explore all kinds of different things with my writing. Today’s also an important day because it’s my first day of graduate school! I’ll still be doing my best to write here and there, but it won’t be anywhere near to the level that I’ve been writing over the past few months. Thanks all for reading, hope you enjoy this last soulmate AU!!

It’s his 21st birthday, and that day always marks when you get to see your soulmate in your reflection. Janus can barely believe his eyes. It’s almost exactly Remus. Same eye color, same wild curls (no gray streak, though), same height. But it’s pointedly  _ not _ Remus. This one has sparkly eyes, no wild grin, just… a magical one. 

He scrambles to his phone and calls his best friend. Remus picks up quickly. “Morning, Jan-pants. Look, I  _ know _ I should have called cause it’s your birthday and all—”

“Yeah, whatever. That’s not why I’m calling,” Janus interrupted him, and Remus went silent. “Do you have a twin or something?”

“Huh? You mean Roman? Yeah. Didn’t I tell you about him?” Remus asked, and Janus wanted to reach through the phone to punch his self-proclaimed best friend. 

“No, Rem. You never mentioned him. And now I’m pretty sure that he’s who I’m seeing in my reflection,” Janus explained the situation. There was a pause before Remus began speaking again.

“Alright, cool. So my brother is your soulmate. Wanna come over to meet him in person?” Remus seemed very nonchalant about the whole thing, and it slightly unsettled Janus. “I’ll order us some food and I have your gift anyways.”

“I- okay, I guess I’ll be there soon.”

-

It wasn’t soon. Janus took a long shower, did his makeup to look extra fancy, and then stared into his closet. His long black skirt with the slit up the thigh was taunting him; he gave in and wore that with a sleeveless yellow button-up and his hat, then put on his heeled ankle boots. 

When he got to Remus’ apartment, the door was wide open, and he peered in to see Remus chatting with who he assumed to be Roman.

“Jan-bear!” Remus launched himself at Janus, nearly causing the pair to tumble down. Roman’s eyes focused on Janus, who realized that he must have been seeing Janus in his reflection for months, since Remus’ birthday was months ago (and Patton was probably around somewhere, likely insisting on decorating for Janus’ birthday. How Remus got a soulmate like the perfectly pastel Patton, Janus would never know). “Roro, come here! It’s your soulmate!”

Roman stepped up to Janus, eyes glued on the attire that he was wearing, and Janus held his hand out to shake. Roman took it, and then lifted the hand up to kiss the back of Janus’ knuckles. “Happy birthday, my destined.” Janus’ face turned bright red. “Come with me; I want to chat… away from Rem.” Roman led Janus out to the balcony, closing the door behind them. “From the moment I saw you in my reflection, I thought you were absolutely gorgeous.”

“O-Oh… thank you, Roman,” Janus stammered, twisting his fingers together. “I didn’t know Remus had a twin.”

“And I didn’t realize you were his best friend; had I known months ago, I would have found you and swept you off your feet,” Roman murmured softly, pulling Janus closer to him. “I am glad I have you in my arms, now. I would like to give you a birthday kiss, if that’s alright.”

“I…” Janus looked down, his hand firmly on Roman’s chest. “I’d like to get to know you a bit better first, if that’s alright. I’m sorry. I’m just… still in shock, I think.”

“Absolutely, my destined. Take as long as you need.”

It only took about three hours before Janus threw himself into Roman’s arms, their lips pushing together wantonly.


End file.
